Hundreds of people gather in front of the legislature to voice their opposition to fish farming practices in B.C. Hundreds of people gather in front of the legislature to voice their opposition to fish farming practices in B.C. (Submitted by John Waibel)

About 300 people were marching toward Victoria on Saturday afternoon where they were to join a protest at the legislature against industrial fish farming on the B.C. coast.

A crowd of thousands of supporters — including artists, politicians, commercial fishermen and First Nations groups — was expected to be on hand to greet them at the legislature at the end of the 30-kilometre march.

"Our message is crystal clear and simple," said Don Staniford of the Pure Salmon Campaign, an international group dedicated to improving fish-farming practices. "We want to the government to get the open-net cages out of the water, on to land, into closed-containment systems and save wild salmon stocks."

Staniford said fish farming is devastating wild stocks. "Salmon farms spread waste; open net cages discharge untreated sewage directly into the open ocean, they spread diseases and parasites," he said.

Farmed salmon are raised in net pens in many areas on B.C.'s West Coast. Farmed salmon are raised in net pens in many areas on B.C.'s West Coast. (CBC) Among those parasites are sea lice, which environmental groups blame for the collapse of last year's Fraser River sockeye salmon run.

Alexandra Morton, a noted B.C. biologist who has campaigned against fish farms for years, said support has been overwhelming.

"As I've walked down this island, people have met me with tears, because they see what they've lost," Morton said. "That's not right."